Saturday, March 12, 2011

New Japanese Post

See the other for a lot of info. Top of this post will be updated!Automatic shutdown of cooling system for reactor number 3 at Daiichi. The plot just thickened. Now the problem they have is that they may not have enough pumping equipment. They have to vent 3 and check coolant levels while continuously pumping seawater and boric acid into reactor 1. Reactor no 2 at Daiichi has consistently been reported as having lower than normal coolant levels. They still are working off generators. This is not good. There seem to be some odd reports around that No 3 is undergoing a meltdown, but I can't find that officially. Yet. End update.

Last TEPCO update says that on Daiichi says that they have injected seawater and then boric acid into the number one reactor. There has been no update for hours. The boric acid would be to absorb the neutrons and shut down the reaction. There is a more recent update for Daini, where everything seems controlled. They are venting units 1-4 at Daini, but no rise in radiation levels is noted. However the crane operator who was trapped died. End update.

Note: There was a large aftershock in Fukushima which appears to have caused the explosion at the facility. They are working in very bad conditions, with aftershocks, only generator power and no running water. That's probably why they're using seawater.

On March 11, 2011, turbines and reactors of Fukushima Daiichi NuclearPower Station Unit 1(Boiling Water Reactor, Rated Output 460 MW) andUnit 2 and 3 (Boiling Water Reactor, Rated Output 784 MW) that had beenoperating at rated power automatically shutdown due to theTohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake.(already announced)

Today at approximately 3:36PM, a big quake occurred and there was a bigsound around the Unit 1 and white smoke.Our two employees and two subcontract workers working for the safety ofthe plant were injured and transported to the hospital.

We are presently checking on the site situation of each plant and effectof discharged radioactive materials.

We will endeavor to restore the units and continue monitoring theenvironment of the site periphery.

Update Reuters:A) The explosion at Daiichi is supposed to be a blow-out of the roof and not the outside container of reactor 1. Probably hydrogen - they are pumping in seawater apparently. When the hot rods come in contact with the water they produce hydrogen. So it would appear that it was a hydrogen explosion.

B) The evacuation radius for Daiichi is now 13 miles, 20 kilometers. That should put Daini within the evacuation radius.

From my POV it is likely that the cascade has begun, although TEPCO is saying that radiation levels are now decreasing at Daiichi. One worker at Daiichi is now said to have had significant radiation exposure.

[Nuclear Power Station]Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: Units 1 to 3: shutdown due to earthquake Units 4 to 6: outage due to regular inspection* The national government has instructed evacuation for those localresidents within 10km radius of the periphery.* Measurement of radioactive material (Iodine, etc.) by monitoring car indicates increasing value compared to normal level. One of the monitoring posts is also indicating higher than normal level. We will continue monitoring discharge of radioactive material from exhaust stack and discharge canal, etc.* Reactor of Unit 1 has been shut down and steam in reactor has beencooled by isolation condenser, but it is now stopped. Because pressurelevel in reactor containment vessel is increasing, following the nationalgovernment instruction, we have done the measure to reduce the pressure ofthe reactor containment vessels in order to fully secure safety and weunderstand that we have succeeded it at 2:30PM.At present, reactor water level is becoming lower and we are injectingwater accordingly.* Reactor of Unit 2 has been shut down and we continue injecting water byReactor Core Isolation Cooling System. Current reactor water level islower than normal level, but the water level is steady. Following thenational government instruction, we are preparing to implement a measureto reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessels in order tofully secure safety. * Reactor of Unit 3 has been shut down and we continue injecting water byReactor Core Isolation Cooling System. Following the national governmentinstruction, we are preparing to implement a measure to reduce thepressure of the reactor containment vessels in order to fully securesafety.* We are implementing a measure to reduce the pressure of the reactorcontainment vessels, but, one of our employees working in the Unit 1 wasirradiated at over 100mSv level(106.3mSv). He received a medical treatmentby a special physician.

Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station: Units 1 to 4: shutdown due to earthquake* The national government has instructed evacuation for those localresidents within 3km radius of the periphery and indoor standby for thoselocal residents between 3km and 10km radius of the periphery. * At present, we have decided to prepare implementing measures to reducethe pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of aircontaining radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety.These measures are considered to be implemented in Units 1, 2 and 3 andaccordingly, we have reported and/or noticed the government agenciesconcerned. * Unit 3 has been stopped and being "nuclear reactor cooling hot stop" at12:15PM.

Stratfor is quoting their private experts as saying that statements by TEPCO and the Japanese Govt are "dubious". If the reactor containment isn't breached, then where is the cesium and iodine coming from?

I'm not sure one way or the other--they could have been trying to vent some of the hydrogen to the secondary containment, and gotten some release of contaminants. When the building blew, it would have spread the dust around pretty good. That's not exactly the same as a containment breach.